Infinite Maelstrom
by LIGHTNING THIEF
Summary: The shinobi world never existed, Naruto was born in a different world. More advanced and favorable to women. Meet Naruto Uzumaki the first male I-S pilot in history. NarutoxHarem
1. In the Beggining

**Infinite Maelstrom**

**AN: I've been getting a lot of requests via PM and reviews for this crossover, and to be honest I've been eager to write one for this category. Like my Naruto/Negima crossover I will have Naruto taking the place of the main protagonist. But there will be some distinct differences: the original Narutoverse WILL**** NOT EXIST****, Ichika will be present in the fic but he'll rarely show up, he'll be a civilian, and he's childhood friends with Naruto and Houki. The girls will be attracted to Naruto and only Naruto. And he won't be an orphan in this fic he'll have his mother, Kushina. As for the harem I've already decided for it to be only Ichika's harem with an add-on or two. **

**Story Start: Chapter 1: World's First**

A blond haired boy of about sixteen was sitting his apartment watching the news headlines and listening to the drone of voices that were coming out of his television.

"_Hello there and welcome to "ASA Made Ni TV". Today's topic concerns the discovery of the first male that has the potential to pilot an I-S, Uzumaki Naruto-kun." _Spoke the announcer. _"… Well I'm not really sure of it myself."_

He was interrupted by another anchor, _"But isn't it really big news? I mean, after all, it is a World's first. For a man to be able to operate an IS."_

Yet another anchor interrupted, _"First of all here's a short summary of everything there is to know about I-S." _He paused briefly and continued. _"The Infinite Stratos or "I-S" is simply put, a power suit. It was first developed six years ago by Dr. Shinonono Tabane and possesses specifications that exceed any present day weapon that mechanism was….. And one more important factor about the I-S is that it only responds to women." _

The original announcer started to speak again, _"But Uzumaki-kun was able to operate one…"_

"_I wonder what will happen to him now…."_

"_Well then let's think about what Uzumaki-kun should do from now on…."_

With that the TV screen turned black. The blond boy, with remote in hand, sighed in exasperation.

"_You'd think there would be some other 'buzz worthy' subject by now" _he thought. _"First male pilot this, World's first that. You'd think they'd get over it already and move on."_

He lied back, staring at the ceiling.

He had short, spiky blond hair the color of sunshine, and blue eyes the shone like sapphires. He was about 5'10, but his most distinct characteristic was six whisker-like scars on his face. Three on each cheek, lined up symmetrically. Currently he was wearing a black hooded jacket over a blue t-shirt, with dark blue jeans, and white socks.

He would have continued lying there, staring at the blank TV screen, had a familiar voice not called out to him from down the hall.

"Naruto! Your new uniform has arrived! Come over here and see it! Try it on for Kami's sake!"

His mother, Kushina Uzumaki, a beautiful woman of thirty-six years, and who still had yet to show any signs of aging. She wore a high collared short-sleeve blouse under a loose fitting dress. She had stunning long red hair that reached down to her butt and blue eyes.

"Coming Kaa-chan!" answered the teen. He got up and walked down the hall towards the front door, she was waiting there for him.

"It's about time! I swear Naruto you're just so sluggish lately! Are you coming down with a cold by any chance?" she worriedly asked, mother mode kicking in.

"I'm fine Kaa-chan. was it delivered just now?"He wished to avoid the real subject of his frustration.

"Ah, no, actually Chifuyu-chan brought it over. I offered her to come in but…."

"So this is it? If you ask me the I-S Academy uniform would look loads better if there was some orange in it."

"Not everything can have orange in it Sochi."

"And no other color is as awesome as it either." He countered. "But really, not even on the tie?"

She sighed at his response. His dedication to the color orange was almost as great as his love…. No, inhuman obsession for ramen. It was a battle every day just for him to eat something else besides the noodles and broth. But she continued regardless,

"You father would be so proud if he were here to see this." She stated, her face adapting a sad, melancholic smile.

The boy also had the same sad smile go across his features. His father, Minato Uzumaki died three years ago. He was an IS engineer and designer, he was killed by one of his own I-S models that went haywire while he was in the room. Naruto had been there and had attempted to save his father, but had been held back by his father's employees. Who could only sit there and watch as his father was murdered by his own machine.

He raised his hand to his scarred cheek. They were the only permanent and persistent reminder of that horrible day. Kushina noticed the gesture and quickly changed the subject.

"Why don't you try it on later? Go hang out with Ichika-kun for a while, eh? Once school starts you'll be seeing less and less of him. You'll be staying in the dorms at the academy after all."

Ichika Orimura was an old childhood friend of Naruto's, they were as close as brothers. He had black hair that was slightly longer than Naruto's own and brown eyes. The two first met at a playground when they were five and had been the best of friends ever since.

The boy was now staring at a brochure that was sitting on the coffee table. On the cover was the picture of a large expansive campus on an offshore island. It was moderately futuristic with many of its buildings shaped like domes, there was a branch like tower in the center of it. It was entirely mechanical looking, there were many trees, parks, and plants, technology and nature were in a harmonious balance. You could see many female students over the cover. In fact there were only female students and staff within the pictures of the brochure. It was an all girls' school, that is, until Naruto came along.

He was Naruto Uzumaki, son of Minato and Kushina Uzumaki. A prankster, a martial artist, and a loyal friend. But most importantly, he was the first male I-S pilot in history.

Still looking at the picture, a skeptical expression emerged.

"IS Academy, huh? This outta be interesting."

~~Time skip: one week later~~

Naruto was currently standing beside the monorail that would take him to I-S Academy's campus. A red and gray box shaped passenger car, not much different in design from that of a normal freight train. This one hung suspended under the beam way, the motors located on the top of it. The doors were open, and the interior was none too flashy considering what an elite school this was. Standard, with unusually comfy looking blue seating. The most interesting thing about it had to be its passengers, all of whom were staring at him now, as was everyone in the station. They were all girls, ONLY girls. Naruto had never been so unnerved in his young life. There were literally hundreds of pairs of eyes staring at the poor boy; he was not accustomed to so much attention by the female populace. If that wasn't enough already he had to also endure all the giggling and blushes the girls developed when they saw them.

He still had yet to see one living male soul, if you didn't count the one reporter that had tried to get an interview. He had been practically mobbed outside by a gaggle of reporters. One courageous one, or foolish in most cases, had tried to slander his reputation. Attempting to make Naruto come off as something of a liar or a cheat. Naruto didn't even have to respond, his mother had a serious argument with said reporter, which then erupted into a shouting match. The result? The man was left laying face down on the ground, bleeding from the head, now a victim of his mother's wrath and her punches.

It wasn't too surprising when the other media reporters left as quickly as they had come. The fiery red-headed mother was scary and their jobs weren't worth possibly endangering their lives.

Kushina was now going over his things like most worried mothers would. It seemed that the episode with the newsperson was forgotten for the moment.

"You packed your toothbrush?"

"Yes."

"What about your books?"

"Yes Kaa-chan."

"Extra Advil? I know how you're prone to headaches."

"You reminded me before we left. Don't you remember? You pretty much threw it at me."

"Don't get snippy with me. What about extra socks?"

"Yes!"

"All of your school supplies? I don't want you to arrive there unprepared."

"…."

"Answer me Naruto. Yes or no?"

"…yes."

"What about your underwear?"

"KAMI, KAA-CHAN! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

Even more stares now, this time by the monorail faculty and staff. This couldn't get any worse could it?

His mother was now holding her hand out to him now, looking expectant.

"Bag, Now!"

"What? Why?" he asked.

She didn't answer but the look on her face told him told him to hand it over or else. Not wanting to anger further he complied. The moment it left his hand the sound of a zipper was heard and ramen cups starting flying everywhere.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"You're not having ramen every day young man! I may not be there to watch you, but I'll be damned if all you eat is ramen!"

"Kaa-chan! You're embarrassing me in front of all these girls!"

He could hear giggling coming from all around him. Great that was the last thing any guy would want to hear from so many girls in this situation….

Thankfully she relented, preventing any further humiliation for the blond. Goodbyes were said, and Naruto stepped into the passenger car, this one also filled with girls. That is not without one final goodbye from his lovely mother.

"Bye Naruto! Meet a nice girl will you? I expect some grandchildren in the future!" she waved at him as the carriage left the station.

Mothers, always worrying about the silliest things, and shouting out the most embarrassing….

Perfect. Just Fucking Perfect.

The ride to the campus wasn't all that eventful. Unless you count being in a passenger car full of giggling members of the opposite sex eventful.

He had tried to ignore them as best he could by listening to his iPod but they didn't seem to get the hint that he did not wish to be bothered. At least one of them would start jabbering away at him, others kept scooting as close as they could to the blond boy.

None of them interested him, they all were quite plain. Cute, but still plain.

There really had been only one girl who had caught his eye. The only girl that hadn't immediately come over to talk to him when he first sat down. She was sitting by the window; her long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Held up by a green ribbon with black stripes. Not too bad in the chest department in his opinion. She wore the standard uniform, the only difference being her long stockings that reached up to the mid-thigh and her black knee-length boots.

Even more unusual about her behavior was that she was throwing glares his way, not smiles.

"_Weird," _thought Naruto, _"But not totally unwelcome though. I feel like I'm being interrogated, they act like they never really talk to any guys. Is this school really that isolated? Please don't tell me they're those types of girls who only know things about "how men act" from those yaoi comics. It's gonna be hell here if that turns out to be the case…" _

He sighed, _"Wait, wait, I'm getting off track here. But seriously what is up with her? Does she hate me or is she just being visited by her "monthly friend"?"_

Poor naïve Naruto.

So consumed he was in his thoughts, that he hadn't noticed that the monorail had reached its destination with an abrupt stop and a shudder. The squealing of the brakes on the metallic support track reverberated throughout the compartment. The doors opening with a hiss allowing the other passengers to start filing out of the compartment. The angry looking girl grabbed her belongings as well. Catching him staring she sent him another dirty look and grabbed her bag. She huffed at him turned on her heel and marched out. Leaving Naruto to himself and his thoughts.

"_Well one thing's for sure." _He thought, _"She looks awfully familiar."_

Only then did he finally grab his things and leave.

Admittedly the campus was better in real life than in the brochure. The parks were bigger than he had expected, with perfectly trimmed lawns and wildflowers. Some of the buildings that surrounded the parks or the seaside had cafes or student lounges, treating the staff and alumni alike, with a view.

Of course this didn't make this any easier to navigate.

"_This place is like a freakin' maze! What kind of place sets up a campus like this, without considering its size, and doesn't give you a map?" _he thought.

He was now close to panicking, the last thing he wanted was to get to class late. Other days it would be fine, as long as you didn't make a habit of it. But being late on the first day would automatically label you as a slacker. A title which no person prefers.

~Time skip: five minutes later~

A classroom door slams open, startling the class in session, as Naruto runs into the room. He stops; one of his hands's raising a finger in pause, his opposite hand helping to support him by grasping his bent knee. The sound of wheezing can be heard by all the people in that room.

"I'm *pant* I'm*pant* I'm here…*gasp* I'm here" He wheezed, now holding his side. Looking up he asks "I'm not late am I?"

The teacher in question is a young woman, maybe in her early to mid twenty's, with short green hair round rimmed glasses. She was shorter in stature than most women including the students who were in the room. Currently she was wearing a revealing yellow dress with black frills on the edges of the short sleeves and the skirt. Her look was finished off with a pair of black knee-high boots.

She appeared a bit flustered at the moment. For some reason or another she seemed very familiar to him.

"A-Ano, you're Uzumaki Naruto-kun… correct?" She asked with a stutter. "I'm Yamada, Maya. This class's vice instructor, it's nice to see you!" A cute smile materializing on her face.

More wheezing was her response. He sounded like he was going to hack up a lung. The only difference this time was that it sounded suspiciously like he was saying "no… slacker…"?

"_Maybe I should call the nurse?"_ she thought, a worried expression present on her face.

He managed to drag himself to an empty desk right up front. Collapsing in the chair as soon as he pulled it out. A content groan rumbled from his chest.

It really hadn't been easy to find his way, he had known that the moment he'd arrived. But even he didn't comprehend just how difficult it was just to find his way. There were no "you are here" maps on the campus, nor directional signs. And when he had attempted to ask someone for directions he discovered that they had all left. The previously jam-packed quad now empty. He thought he'd caught a break when he ran into a group of seniors, hoping to ask them for directions. The response he received was some flirtatious winks and an invite to "tutor him", whatever that meant.

After more random wandering he stumbled upon a friendly elderly janitor who pointed him in the right direction. The revelation filled him with an even greater sense of panic; he was on the opposite side of the campus.

He ran… He ran like all hell had broken loose.

And now he had just made a fool of himself, a debacle in front of his entire class and possibly the school. Perfect. Just perfect. Life couldn't get any worse could it?

"_I haven't even been here for an hour and I've already established myself as some kind of idiot." _

His attention was directed again at the small teacher upon hearing her call his name.

"Hai sensei? Could you repeat that?"

"We started the self-introductions before you arrived. Would you mind introducing yourself to the class?"

"Ah….AH! Oh yes! I'm sorry." He stood up and turned to the class. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. Pleased to meet you!" he finished with a bow.

Before he could return to his seat the door slammed open again.

This time it was a woman standing in the doorway. She, in contrast to Maya, was adequately tall. Her long black hair was loosely pulled back and split into two parts similar to his friend Ichika. Her wardrobe consisted of a formal white shirt with a black overcoat, and a green tie. Her lower half adorned a black skirt with black stockings and finished off with a black pair of high heels. Her face was neutral and the aura that surrounded her suggested a strict nature.

Naruto knew her well, all too well.

"Can't you go a day without causing a commotion, Uzumaki?" She asked.

There was a noticeable pause in the classroom. So silent that you could hear even a feather softly hit the floor, screw the pin.

"Chifuyu-chan?"

The question hung in the air adding to the shock of the already silenced class, as the woman walked further into the room towards him.

He was expecting a greeting or some acknowledgement.

All he received was a smack to the back of the head. Hard book meet head, head meet book. So much for the friendly greeting, though he should have expected it. Chifuyu had always been somewhat of an ice queen. With her cool, collected attitude it was expected. But Naruto knew she had a big heart.

He had first met Chifuyu when he was eight years old. She had come by the school to pick up Ichika, her brother, who in turn introduced her to his new friend.

By no means was she a normal person either. When the boys were nine she became the first generation IS pilot to represent Japan, the I-S suits and technology was freshly new having only been invented months earlier. During her time as a pilot she had remained undefeated. For unknown reasons, except to those who knew her, she suddenly retired one day. After that she gradually faded from the limelight.

And now here she was standing in his class, smacking him with a book. Cruel, cruel Chifuyu-chan. Her rough exterior only served to hide her protective and kind true nature.

Maya chose now to speak up.

"Did your meeting end already Orimura-sensei?" she asked.

More shock, now also from Naruto. What was this some popular television drama?

"Indeed. Yamada-kun, I apologize for having to make you greet the class." She stepped behind the desk and turned to the other residents in the room. "Ladies, I am Orimura Chifuyu. Within the next year, it'll be my job to train you to become pilots. I shall be your guide until you become capable. You can oppose me; though listen closely to what I have to say."

She finished and the result was instantaneous.

A majority of students exploded with joy. Shouting out with cheers of admiration for the calm celebrity now sensei.

"WOW! It's the real Chifuyu-sama!"

"She's too beautiful!"

"We're really going to be learning from her? Lucky!"

"I love you!"

"I have always been your fan!"

You're the very reason I came to this school!"

"I could die for you!"

The cries didn't end there but Naruto chose to filter them out. He already had enough of a headache. The newly introduced "Orimura-sensei" felt the same. Her fingers now pinching the bridge of her nose in irritation.

"It's amazing how these idiots appear every year. Should I admire them for their dedication? Or pity them for their stupidity?" She asked no one in particular.

Naruto was also slightly shocked at the idea of having Chifuyu as a sensei. Though perhaps not as much as the rest of the class.

"_Chifuyu-chan as my sensei? I never would have predicted that, not by a long shot!"_

"Uh… Chifuyu-cha-OW!" Book and head were united once more thanks to Chifuyu.

"You'll address me as Orimura-sensei at school Uzumaki." she angrily huffed. Leaving him to nurse his new bump, she directed herself towards the class once more.

"Alright people! SHR is over. Everyone is required to memorize the core knowledge of the I-S in half a month tops!" Her gaze swept across everyone within the room stopping on Naruto. "After that we'll begin the real I-S training, so make sure to get down the basic maneuvers in half a month."  
>Another pause followed. Letting the information sink in. "Understand? If you understand respond. If you don't understand respond. Just respond to whatever I say."<p>

Naruto closed his eyes in thought. _"Well regardless of what anyone says this year will certainly be an interesting one."_

**End Chapter**

**Well that's it for the first chapter. I will be explaining things like Minato's death and how Naruto received his whisker marks/scars in this reality later on. Obviously he wasn't born with them. I'm debating on whether or not to add Chifuyu to Naruto's harem seeing as she has no familial relations to him. If I get enough votes I will put her into the harem as well as Maya. Because I wouldn't put Chifuyu into the harem without adding her, the two go hand and hand. I'm not too keen on the idea of having some of the Narutoverse girls in the story though I'm not totally against it. Maybe as instructors, but they'll have no romantic affiliations with our hero.**

**Next chapter will be the "Houki introduction chapter" and mainly base around hers and  
>Naruto's past together including their reunion. We'll also meet Cecilia Alcott, who I'll dedicate the third chapter to and so on.<strong>

**Again no flames please, if you do I'll flame right back. I'm doing this as a hobby not as a career so don't start trying to verbally beat me down saying you could write a better chapter. If you could you should have done so already, it's not as easy as you may think. **

**Thank you.**

**-Sincerely,**

**L.T**


	2. Old memories and a Challenge

**AN: First off I had originally meant for this chapter to come up last month. But thanks to school, work, my internship, the girl I like, my computer acting up and deleting it thrice, tons of testing, my car breaking down, family, friends, community service work for a school project, and among other things, it was delayed. Suffice to say that everything that could have gone wrong in the first place did. The very same thing occurred with the next chapter of my other story **_**Homeroom Teacher Naruto**_**. What was about 18 pages and almost complete was reduced to three…. You see my frustration right? But thankfully now everything has calmed down somewhat, so hopefully now I can start writing more.**

**The only real announcements that I have to make is:**

**Naruto's IS will be introduced next chapter.**

**(Not related to this story) I'll be putting a list of future story ideas up on my profile as soon (or as soon as I plan to) as the next chapter of **_**Homeroom Teacher Naruto**_** is posted.**

**That's really all there is for now. And yes, Chifuyu and Maya have been added to the harem.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor Infinite Stratos. **

**Story Start: Chapter Two:**

I-S academy, an institution created to train and to promote I-S, or Infinite Stratos operators. Situated in the island nation of Japan, this country is solely responsible for everything associated with the academy including budget costs and maintenance. Japan is not sanctioned to withhold information on training or development from other countries that are a part of the I-S treaty. Japan is liable to investigate all issues that occur within this facility, and is also required to create a resolution for such instances. That in turn will undergo approval from those countries that are also a part of the pact. There is an unconditional enrollment for citizens of countries that fall under the treaty, and the nation will provide for these individuals living expenses and basic needs.

In layman's terms: Japan, the country of origin for the development of the I-S, was required to take responsibility and create a school to train pilots. They were required to hand over the information regarding these power suits and responsible for paying for the entire project.

It's an all girls academy as only females have been found to have the ability to control these machines. Or it was that way until recently. The result of an accidental event led to the discovery of a male that could actually control an I-S. His name? Naruto Uzumaki, the son of Minato Uzumaki, a deceased I-S designer and engineer, and Kushina Uzumaki.

It is here that our story continues…

Naruto was currently sitting at his desk, cradling his head in his palms. Fingers rubbing circles on his temples, attempting to relieve some of his stress. He had attempted to escape to the roof the moment the bell for study hall had rang, he needed some type of sanctuary. Some type of temporary escape from all of these prying eyes. Staring hungrily at him in ways that made him none too comfortable.

Unfortunately he was denied such leisure as many of his female peers had formed a human wall at the doorway.

His unease with the situation was apparent, the whispers that were circulating around him only adding fuel to the fire.

"It's that boy, the world's only male I-S pilot."

"He operated the I-S during the training exam. It was international big news."

"He entered the school just as expected."

"Do you think he's single?"

"Why don't you try talking to him?"

"Maybe I'll go."

"Wait a minute, you didn't intend to leave us behind did you?"

This much attention was proving to be too much for the blond boy to handle. His fingers digging deeper into the sides of his forehead, but it was a futile attempt at best. Upon realizing this he started to contemplate bashing his head against his desk. It was great anti-stress therapy; you either fell unconscious from the abuse or experienced so much head trauma that you'd entirely forget about what caused your anxiety in the first place.

"_Geez there staring at me like I'm some type of museum exhibit. "History in the making" or not, this is really starting to piss me off, such bull shit…"_

His thoughts rounded back to the events from earlier.

"_But man, had I known that Chifuyu-chan…. of all people… a teacher?" _He continued to ponder, _"Ichika didn't have any clue of this either, he's too crappy of a liar and I know he's been concerned about her as of late. Did she ever get a chance to tell him before school started?" _

He had yet to notice the figure that was approaching his desk.

What did catch his attention was an evident tapping of a restless foot. He peered at the figure, expecting it to be one of the many girls that were fawning over him. Instead to his surprise, he found that he was now staring into the face of the girl from earlier.

"_She's the one from the monorail, the one that was staring daggers at me…. But why do I have this nagging notion that I know her from somewhere else? It… It was a long time ago… I know her! But it's a blur…" _

The girl cleared her throat trying to recapture his attention.

"Naruto, I need to talk to you."

It was then that it had clicked for the boy.

"H-Houki? Is that you?"

She stood there with crossed arms, staring down at the boy.

"Of course it's me you idiot. Who else would it be?" she humphed. "Don't tell me you forgot about me already Naruto. I thought that we were friends."

How could he forget? Houki Shinonono was one of his earliest childhood friends.

~~Flashback~~

It was a sunny afternoon in early autumn; a six year old Naruto can be seen walking between his parents holding their hands, his fox like grin set upon his face. They were heading to the local temple, as today was the last of the summer festivals that were held there. He had been waiting eagerly for weeks, saving up his allowance for a new toy or games at the stalls. His piggybank had been sacrificed before he had run out the door.

When the happy family finally arrived, Naruto shot off like a bullet, wanting to see everything that his little eyes could. His parents chuckled at this and followed the small ball of energy, trying to keep up.

~~An hour later~~

A lost Naruto was worriedly looking for his parents having lost them in the immense crowd. He had been at one gaming booth with his father, while Kushina had left the two alone for a bit to go and greet an old friend who ran the shrine. He remembered smelling ramen from the booth across from the previous stall and wandering over. He went to go beg his father for a bowl but Minato was no longer there, probably looking for him no doubt.

Running around a corner he arrived at the shrine itself. There were no visible people there at the moment though, most were having fun at the festivities.

As he was about to turn back he heard a voice.

"You think that you're all that just because your dad owns the dojo, don't you Shinonono? Well guess what? That means squat to us! You're just as much a loser as your dad!"

This caught Naruto's attention. He quickly found the source of the disturbance, three boys a little older than himself, surrounded a girl his age. Her long black hair was loose and her yukata was covered in dirt thanks to her assailants. She was currently trying to get up from the ground only to be pushed back down by one of the bullies.

Another one of the boys stepped forward.

"You think you're so tough? How bout this?" He brought his hand down upon her face, the echo of the hit reverberated throughout the area.

Naruto couldn't hold himself back any longer.

"STOP IT ALREADY! LEAVE HER ALONE YOU JERKS!"

That caught their attention. All eyes landed on Naruto, his hands balling into fists, shaking out of rage.

"Beat it Kid! It's none of your business!"

"Yeah! Go find your mommy and you won't get hurt!"

Naruto stood his ground not in the least bit discouraged.

"You three think you're so tough!" Shouted Naruto, "But what's so tough about ganging up on one person?"

This angered the older boys; they were now rushing at Naruto, fists raised.

"Take this, Idiot!"

Naruto, by no means, was a master of martial arts. But his father had taught him karate, his mother preferred kendo, he'd been learning both since he was three. He was taught quite a few useful lessons. One: never underestimate your opponents. Two: Study your opponent's movements; look for openings and flaws in their technique. Third and finally: Use your opponent's force against them.

The first boy reached Naruto before the other two. His fist raised, attempting to smack him down like he did with the girl. He didn't expect Naruto to duck underneath his attack. Naruto grabbed his outstretched arm with his right hand, his left grabbing the front of the boy's shirt. Using his back foot as a lever, Naruto threw the boy a good seven feet.

Bully #2 now charged in, hoping to smash the blonde's face in. Naruto simply side stepped him and delivered an uppercut to the boy's gut. Knocking the wind out of him instantly. He fell to the ground, and curled up into a ball trying to regain his breath. The last bully stood there shaken by the fact that this blonde pipsqueak had managed to take out both of his friends with ease. His conscious told him to retreat but the smirk that appeared on the blonde boys face caused his anger to grow. Before he charged in he noticed a broom to his right. He grabbed it and ran at Naruto, broom raised for a downwards swipe.

Naruto dodged to the left, and then to the right as the aggressor brought it down again. Deciding to end it, Naruto grabbed on to the handle of the broom as it was striking down on him, surprising the other boy. He pulled back on the handle, relinquishing it from the other's grasp and proceeded to drive it forward in to his opponents gut. As the older boy held his stomach, gasping for air, the broom was brought to the backs of his knees. Effectively knocking him onto his back.

Naruto paused for a moment to look at the group making sure they did stay down for the count. With that confirmed he turned to the black haired girl. Her expression was that of awe for him and his abilities.

"Are you alright?" he asked, knocking her out of her daze. "They didn't hurt you did they?"

A light blush spread across her cheeks. "N-no I'm tougher than I look! I could've handled it myself you know…" she turned her face away from him towards the festival. "B-but thanks anyway blondie…"

Naruto grinned at this "What's your name anyway? I'm Naruto! Naruto Uzumaki!"

The girl couldn't stop herself from smiling either. "My name's Houki…. Shinonono Houki. Nice to meet you Naruto-san."

"Don't call me that."

This comment confused her; she looked straight into his eyes now, wondering what he had meant by that statement.

"What? What do you mean Naruto-san?"

"Just call me Naruto. No –san, just Naruto."

"But why-?"

He cut her off then. "Because friend shouldn't be so formal with each other, Houki-chan!"

"_F-friends?"_Thought Houki.

The young girl had never had too many friends. Her fierce personality usually scared most away. Her trust issues interfered with the kids that did approach her with the intention. Some only wanted to be her friend because of her sister's connections. She being a talented engineer and scientist at such an early age intrigued many companies and important business leaders.

She was brought out of her stupor by a foreign hand grabbing onto her own.

"Ne, Houki-chan, why don't we walk around with each other for a bit? Enjoy the festival you know?"

No longer trusting her voice the girl nodded, a blush reappearing on her person. She was led by around by him throughout the festival. Well led would be an understatement… She dragged by the blonde boy everywhere. They looked through most of the stands, momentarily stopping at one stand to buy some dango, Naruto's treat.

The fireworks were set to start in a few minutes and Naruto was leading Houki to one last stand. In it were different types of fabrics. Silk, satin, cotton, various clothes that ranged from the most simple to the most elegant were within this stall. What caught the young girl's eyes most were the ribbons. She ran her hand over several of them, silk by the feel of it.

She had been so absorbed by the ribbons; she had yet to notice that Naruto was no longer next to her. Only when she felt tapping on her shoulder did she take notice. Whirling about, she turned to face the blond boy who had reappeared as quickly as he had disappeared.

"Naruto! Where did you go?"

"I went to get something"

"What?"

"Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

Rolling her eyes at him, she did what she was told. For a moment she refused his request, but upon seeing those sapphires staring so diligently at her, she relented. Closing her eyes and doing as he had asked she held out her hands. A pout was plain on her features.

"What is it Naruto? We're going to be late for the fireworks if we don't hurry… You do remember that these are the last ones for this summer right?"

"Patience Houki-chan, patience. We've got time, just wait for one moment."

Upon hearing some quiet shuffling from the boy Houki was tempted to open her eyes. But recalling what her new friend had requested of her she resisted the temptation.

It was then that she felt something light and soft fall into her outstretched hands.

"Okay Houki-chan! You can open them now." Said Naruto.

She quickly did as he asked, her own curiosity getting the better of her. There lying in her hands was a long silk ribbon. Nothing fancy by any means it was bought by six year olds allowance money after all. But regardless of that fact she loved his gift. It was a forest green with single black stripes near the ends of it. To her it was the most beautiful thing in the world at that very moment.

"_It's… It's so… beautiful… He really bought this for me? We've only met an hour ago, and he's giving me this?" _A single tear appearing and proceeding to roll down her cheek.

"D-do you like it Houki-chan?" stuttered the young blond boy. His voice betraying him, breaking a bit towards the end, showing just how nervous he was and how much he wanted her approval.

"_Oh crud! I made her cry! Think Naruto! Think!"_ he thought, panicked.

"H-Houki-chan?" he asked once more. His thumbs twiddling nervously, his gaze now set on his feet. Suddenly finding the floor to be the most interesting thing going on around him.

Flummoxed, the young girl once again couldn't stop a blush from staining her fair cheeks. But when looking up at the boy, seeing his anticipation for her reaction, she could not stop the genuine smile that spread across her face like a wildfire.

"Do you not like it? I understand, I probably have bad taste in stuff like this huh?"

Hearing this, the girl immediately reassured him.

"No, no it's beautiful Naruto. I love it, arigato."

He smiled at her as she put it in her hair, tying it up into a single pony tail.

"We better get going," she said after making sure her hair was tied properly, "or we're going to miss the fireworks. Come on Naruto!" She grabbed his hand dragging him to a hillside that would have a perfect view of the fireworks.

Sitting under a sakura tree, shoulder to shoulder, the two stared up at the sky as it painted a wondrous work of art. Splashes of blue and pink mingled with the stars while explosions of red, green, orange, and yellow engulfed the sky. Lingering for a moment and then fading, the remnants falling like shattering glass.

The young girl turned to the boy and smiled, seeing his eyes filled with wonder from the marvelous light show overhead. Noticing that her eyes were no longer focused on the fireworks the boy turned to look at his new friend.

"Houki-chan?"

He wasn't prepared for what would happen next. The girl quickly hugged him, her arms circling his shoulders. Naruto froze immediately expecting something else to happen. But after a minute he returned it. The two remained like that only momentarily, letting go the girl decided to ask something that had been bothering her since she had received the ribbon.

"Naruto?"

"Hai Houki-chan? What is it?"

"Can you promise me something?"

"?"

"Promise me that we'll always be friends…."

"Forever and always!"

~~End Flashback~~

They didn't see each other again until a month later when Naruto's parents had decided to sign him up for kendo lessons at the school run by Houki's father. She had been wearing the ribbon that he had given her when they met again.

It was thanks to kendo that their friendship truly blossomed and grew.

But that was then and this is now. No longer was Houki a little girl who he had practiced the art of the sword with, but rather, the serious beautiful young woman that stood before him now. It had been years since he had last seen her.

The last time he had seen her was shortly after the invention of the I-S suits and systems. Now Naruto wasn't one to hold a grudge, but that doesn't mean that he was all that happy with Tabane when it was revealed that Houki and her family had to move, forced to take part in a witness protection program. It was meant to protect the family from people who held a grudge against Tabane. All of it thanks to Tabane's "wonderful" invention, it revolutionized the world but tore her family apart. In his opinion family & friends always came first, never taking a back seat to one's career or personal gain.

"Naruto?"

The boy's attention was drawn back to the young woman in front of him.

"Follow me."

He nodded dumbly, not entirely sure what to say at that moment.

"_I mean really, what can you say in a situation like this? Hi, how've you been over the last six years? How's the family? Oh right, you were all split up because of you sister and the basic components of what this school teaches." _Thought Naruto, his views taking on a sarcastic tone.

He followed her to a deserted corridor; she stood with her back to him, her gaze set on the school grounds below. He stalled for a moment then proceeded to lean back against the wall, waiting for her to say something, anything. But all he received from her was more silence.

"_I'm gonna have to be the one to say something huh? Lovely…"_ he thought.

"So…." He began, now shuffling his feet side to side, trying to disregard this awkward feeling. Trying and failing miserably. "How've you been Houki-chan? Six years is a long time you know…"

"Hmmm?"

"What?"

"How did you know who I was?"

"Well… to be quite honest… your hair. You wore it like that before you left." He smiled at her now, his apprehension fading. Feet became still as he turned to face her, staring at her for a moment. "Oh you still have the ribbon too? I'm kinda surprised that you kept it this long!"

Her hand moved to her hair, where the ribbon held it back. Fingers traveling lightly over the smooth fabric.

"You have a good memory…"

"How so? I could never forget one of my friends, especially not you Houki-chan!" His smile widened after saying that.

The poor girl didn't stand a chance, a full crimson blush erupting over her fair cheeks. Her heart rate increasing to the point where one might think she was running a marathon, not standing and talking to an old friend.

Of course this change in demeanor caught the blond boy's attention.

"_Eh? Why's she all red like that? Is she sick?"_ He moved closer to her, further shocking the brunette, and put a hand on her forehead. At this action her blush deepened considerably.

"_She does feel rather warm…"_ thought the boy not noticing that he was the cause of his friend's current "ailment".

"Ne, Houki-chan? Are you feeling alright? You're really red you know…"

Swallowing hard, she replied. "I-I-I'm a-alri-right Naruto. No pro-problem whatsoever…."

The boy looked at her skeptically, "You sure? I mean it you're really war-"

He was cut off by her smacking his hand away. "I said I'm fine baka! Don't worry about it."

Naruto shrugged it off though not understanding her actions nor symptoms.  
><em>"Please tell me it's not that time of the month…? Wait… all girls school + pms =….. Oh hell! Why didn't I think of this before I came to this school? And some of them are so in sync with the others that you know that they're all gonna end up on the same cycle! Fuck my life….."<em>

His sudden revelation was cut short by blatant cough. Upon remembering who he was talking to he turned back to her.

"Uh… So what have you been up to lately?" he asked.

"Not very much. Just practicing my kendo."

"_Well… that's a lot to go on…" _Naruto thought sarcastically. _"Really what is up with this girl? I know she was usually serious when we were little, but never this bad."_

It was then that the boy remembered something.

"So I heard that you won that tournament?"

"Pardon?"

"Last year… You took part in the national kendo tournament and took first place right? Congrats on that by the way!"

The girl was caught off guard when she heard this statement a light scarlet hue appearing on her cheeks.

"_He knows about that? I didn't think that he…. That he'd remember me…"_

Before anything else could be said the bell rang, signaling the end of study hall. They quickly found their way back to class. A newfound, yet comfortable silence, falling over the two.

~~Back at the classroom~~

Chifuyu was once again standing before the class, class roster open in her hand. Her usual look of disinterest was present.

"Okay brats settle down."

The girls' immediately quieted down, a hush spreading over them.

"_Jeez… quite the ice queen as always huh Chifuyu-chan? Your word always seems like it should be law…" _thought Naruto.

He shivered as she sent a pointed look in his direction, somehow having guessed what he was thinking.

"_How the hell does she know? Must have some type of sixth sense, damn that woman!"_

She then started to speak to the group as a whole.

"Before we begin anything else today, we have some order of business to attend to. There will be an exhibition match between the classes upcoming in the next two weeks. These will be mock battles between individuals of each class. Therefore we need to elect a class representative in order to participate." She paused and continued "So any victi….. Err, volunteers?"

The class was quiet for a moment following the announcement.

"_Uhhh… No thanks. It sounds like waaaay too much work!"_ He thought adopting a bored expression. _"Besides the one tournament, I'd have so much crap to do…"_

"I think Naruto-kun should be our rep!" shouted one girl suddenly. She was quickly followed by many voices of agreement.

"_Haha! Sucker…" _thought Naruto, before he realized what had just occurred. _"Wait. WAIT! WHAT! NO, NO, NO!"_

He shot up quickly from his seat. "But wait I don't-!"

"Don't have a choice in this matter, Uzumaki. Now please take your seat." Stated Chifuyu.

Naruto sat back down with a defeated look on his face, anime like tears were set loose.

"_She's a dictator that woman!"_

It was then that a voice spoke up, anger was unmistakably present.

"There's no way that I can accept this!" A British voice shouted.

Everyone turned to the source of the voice. The speaker was a blue eyed girl with long curly hair being held back by a blue headband. Her ears were adorned with matching blue earrings, while her uniform took a more formal appearance than the norm. Reaching a little ways below her knees, with a black lace trim at the edges. She was pretty curvy compared to most girls her age, her chest further proving this point.

"_Wow… Puberty's been kind to her… Gah! Don't act like Ero-jiji!" _Thought the whiskered boy.

"You people really want this… BOY to be our class' representative?" She spat the word 'boy' out in such a way that made it seem that it left a bad taste on her tongue.

"You really expect me, Cecilia Alcott, to have to support this burden for an entire year?" She asked with disbelief.

"_Kami! Just shut up already!" _thought Naruto, his anger rising when the girl referred to him as a burden.

"Besides, I'm the only person here that actually qualifies for that role." Stated the girl, flipping her hair in that snobbish manner, "I don't mean to boast but I am the only one to defeat an evaluator during the entrance examination. I'm an elite among elit-."

She meant to continue her tirade but was interrupted by the very boy she had been criticizing previously.

"Excuse me? Are you quite done?" asked Naruto, having had enough of Cecilia's attitude.

"How dare you! You rude barbarian!"

"The only one who's being rude here is **YOU.**" Stated the boy, his anger rising. "At least I don't put down others before I even know them. You weren't the only one here to win against an examiner you know."

"You don't mean…"

"That's precisely what I mean."

The class watched in interest as the blond girl slammed her hand down upon Naruto's desk.

"Very well then… I challenge you to a duel!"

"What for exactly, may I ask? I didn't hurt your feelings did I? Or is it perhaps the idea that someone else did just as well as you?" taunted Naruto. Normally he wouldn't have acted like this, but given the situation, Cecelia's attitude, and her hubris, easy to say it drove him over the edge. It was one thing to be confident, but to taunt others and proceeding to brag about it was another thing entirely. Naruto tended to find arrogant people annoying.

"I'll prove that boys like you don't belong in this academy or this sport!"Declared Cecelia.

"_Great. She's a self-centered, narcissistic, sexist feminist. What a lovely combination…."_

"Fine! I'll show you not to underestimate me, you spoiled brat!"

More arguing erupted between the two as this was said. Meanwhile Maya was trying to have the to calm down and return to their seats.

"Stop it, both of you!" shouted the normally shy teacher in an authoritive voice, or as authoritive sounding as she could muster. But the two blonds ignored her and continued bickering.

She was about to try again when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. The owner of it being Chifuyu herself.

"That's enough Maya. Brats like these require a certain level of discipline when it comes to handling them."

"What did you have in mind then Chifuyu-san?"Asked the green haired women.

Chifuyu said nothing at first, but instead turned towards the chalk board and grabbed two of the smaller pieces of chalk, "Just watch."

Both Naruto and Cecelia were unaware of the exchange until both were struck in the head with one of the pieces. Cecelia receiving hers to the back of the head, while got his right in between his eyes.

The action served its intended purpose the two finally shutting up.

"You two idiots need to cease and desist. Now's neither the time nor the place for crap like this. Settle it in the 3rd arena on Monday, after class. Am I understood?"

Receiving dual nods the ice queen turned towards the front board. "Very Well, time to begin today's lesson…"

**End Chapter**

**Last thing before I go, yes there will be lemons, don't fret.**

**-sincerely,**

**L.T.**


	3. AN: PETITION

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.

I, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that (I believe) violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in it's original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be looseing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please fell free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.


	4. Blue Tears and a Kitsune

AN: My inspiration comes and goes at weird intervals. But I finally had a stroke of inspiration for this story after finding my old notes on Naruto IS mecha.

Disclaimer: Do not own.

**Story Start: Chapter 3**

**Time Skip: 1 week later, Monday afternoon 2pm.**

It had been a week since Naruto had been unwillingly volunteered to run for class representative by his classmates. It wasn't that Naruto wasn't confident in his own abilities, like his within martial arts, but he had doubts about how well that it could possibly help him in piloting his mech. It seems he didn't need to worry as much as he thought as Houki not only confirmed that personal combat skills previously learned by the pilot helped but it made a huge difference in their actual ability as a pilot. Those who were more physically fit tended to adapt better than others.

While this did improve his confidence in that department, it backfired in a way when Houki decided to set up a training regime for him during the week. He honestly had forgotten how much of a slave driver she could be. Regardless he was more than happy to spend that time with her, the six years had been too long. Maya-sensei had even granted them permission to use two training based IS mechs until Naruto's arrived for the match. Houki made sure to beat into him the basic maneuvers that she had learned prior to the academy. This would at least allow him to have something to draw off of in time for the real match.

The sound of clicking heels brought him back to attention, Chifuyu had arrived to escort him to the arena. She didn't bother to say anything preferring a curt nod and turned with him now following.

She lead him through various hallways until they arrived before a door that said ' Competitors`.

"We're here Uzumaki. Proceed into the locker room and change into your gear and I'll meet you on the other side."

She was about to leave when his voice stopped her.

"Uh Orimura- sensei? Just a small, teensy little question?"

"Oh? And what might that be?" She replied.

"Just how am I supposed to fight out there without an IS?"

Her response was a small sigh and turned to leave once more.

"Just do as you're told Uzumaki, and like I said, meet me on the other side when you're done."

Seeing that he wasn't going to be getting any more than that, Naruto simply shrugged and turned to trudge into the vacant locker room.

Five minutes later he emerged out of the other side of the "new" male changing area sporting a tight black muscle shirt with a white spiral design in the center of his chest and black combat slacks with a solid orange stripe running down both sides. His shoes were black and orange sneakers.

Chifuyu, good to her word, was waiting for him outside. Going over his appearance again she gave another small nod and gestured him to the next room.

"As you mentioned earlier Uzumaki it would be quite difficult to fight without the assistance of an IS, albeit entertaining…"

At this Naruto shot her a small glare which didn't seem to faze her in the slightest as she continued.

"… So the Japanese government funded a special IS designed just for you."

Inside the next room stood the hulking machine in its inactive state. It was slightly larger than any IS he had ever seen, more than likely to accommodate to his height. The hands had different slots within them, 4 on each to be exact, 3 above the knuckles and one on the wrist. On the back there were nine more slots that were close to where a pilots tailbone might be. It was mainly black with white and burnt orange accents. Honestly Naruto could've gone on forever about this particular IS but he was quickly pulled back into reality by Chifuyu.

"This, Uzumaki, is Kyubi a multipurpose IS with a few unique components."

That really caught Naruto's attention.

"What exactly are these unique components exactly?"

Without pausing Chifuyu began to explain. Apparently Kyubi had not only more available weapon slots then most IS at 15 but had been designed with some amazing weaponry that Naruto was itching to try out. The slots it seemed played a key part in this, the 3 on top of each hand actually allowed for two sets of claw like beams that had some amazing cutting power. The others that resided on the bottom of each wrist and those on the tailbone brought about these long black and orange chains with sharpened heads that could pierce armor. Apparently when those around the tailbone were used they resembled nine tails. The only other weapon currently equipped in the inventory was an ion laser based gun that could be used not only to harm an enemy but also temporarily blind them.

"So fucking cool!"

"Indeed but there will be more room for improvement in the future as you learn." Chifuyu paused before continuing.

"Regardless, you really don't have too much time to familiarize yourself with the controls before your match due to some… setbacks in its actual delivery here. You'll have to figure it out as you go, and unlike you Cecilia has had her, IS Blue Tears, for quite a while now, a notable disadvantage."

Naruto nodded at that. This would be literally both his first battle and test run wrapped into one. Cecelia was more than familiar with her IS and undoubtedly knew more about its mechanics than he did.

Chifuyu checked her watch and told him it was time. Naruto gave one last affirmative nod then proceeded to climb into the Inactive IS. As soon as he was in the IS came to life. Red holographic screens popped up below his eye level showing energy levels and that all parts were functioning at optimum capacity. Around his head a headband appeared made entirely of black metal, it encircled his head entirely and went down the sides of his face, coming back inwards after reaching his jaw.

"Good luck Uzumaki" stated Chifuyu as she began to make her way out of the room and towards the teachers' observation station. As the doors closed now shielding her from his view he turned to the cargo bay doors that lead right into the arena. Above the door a countdown clock appeared and started making Naruto tense more.

"**10!"**

"**9!"**

"**8!"**

'_I can do this!'_

"**7!"**

"**6"**

'_I will do this!'_

"**5!"**

"**4!"**

'_And I will show them all what a man can really do!'_

"**3!"**

"**2!"**

"**1!"**

"LET'S GO!" shouted Naruto as he blasted out into the field.

Cecilia was waiting for him out there. She was outfitted In a blue training uniform along with her usual hairband. Her IS was in its active state and managed to appear both elegant yet intimidating at the same time. It, like her outfit, was a dark blue in color, and was lithe and light looking. In Cecilia's hands was a laser based sniper rifle, likely a medium ranged one based on its length and design he guessed as Naruto had seen a few similar ones when he visited his father at work as a child.

"Well, well, I was wondering whether you would show up." Came the British pilots voice from across the field, full of arrogance and a sense of superiority.

The whiskered blond only grinned in response. "And miss all the fun? It takes two to party after all baka-hime."

"Audacious one, aren't we? We'll have to fix that. You stand no chance against someone like me, boy. I am a part of the elite if you recall?"

"Kinda hard to forget when you continuously say it, but enough of this. I'm ready to go right now!"

"Since I'm feeling generous today I'll give you a chance to back down and spare yourself the humiliation Uzumaki-san. Decide carefully because if you don't forfeit I'll be more than happy to put you in your place."

Naruto was going to retort until the slight screech of the stadium's sound system caught both pilots' attention.

"**Would you two idiots kindly start already! I didn't rent this arena for you two to chat it up." **Came Chifuyu's voice over the loudspeaker, though still rather calm it had just a hint of irritation within it no doubt because of the battle of the dumb blonds had yet to get underway.

"Yes Sensei."

"Of Course Orimura-sensei!"

Without another word Naruto turned up his thrusters and charged at Cecelia only to be faced with four blue drones all pointed at him where the other pilot had been moments prior. He spotted her not a second later about a hundred yards from her previous position.

'_How the hell did she get up there so fast without me even noticing?'_ Naruto asked himself. He was hardly allowed the luxury to ponder before the four drones started firing off laser shots.

Maneuvering quickly out of the way Naruto managed to bring up the screen with all of his preset equipment and equipped the dual laser claws on both hands. Reddish orange beams sprung from the slots on the back of the IS's armored knuckles and extended to about 3ft before stopping.

'_Note to self: Thank Houki after this.' _Thought the blond thankful for his friend showing him not only basic maneuvers but also how to access menus, like equipment, rather than allowing him to flounder with the controls. He had no illusion in his mind that if not for his old friend's tutelage that this fight would be entirely one-sided.

Locking onto Cecilia's distant form Naruto again attempted to charge and take the fight into a more close range battle. Cecilia, however, had different ideas as her drones moved to intercept him once more. Forced into defense again made Naruto realize that he'd have to deal with these drones first if he wanted to get up close and personal. Bringing up his equipment screen again Naruto activated the chains within the wrists of the Kyubi. Aiming the chains toward one of the drones Naruto fared well in securing it after a small hole was punched into the metal enough allowing him to tug it back towards him and into the claw of the same hand, wrecking it beyond any further possible function.

"Alright! See that baka-hime?" yelled an excited Naruto to his opponent.

Cecilia was angry and surprised to say the least. How could a man possibly adapt so quickly to an IS, not only at all but within minutes of acquiring it? It was completely unheard of! Not to mention he had already managed to damage on of her drones which alone should've been more than enough to deal with this upstart! Catching and forcing herself to take a deep breath, Cecilia composed herself. This was far from over after all.

"Not too shabby you simpleton, but we're far from finished here." She called back in a cocky tone.

Calling the drones back for now Cecilia re-equipped her sniper rifle setting her sights on the boy's IS and started firing volley after volley of precise shots.

Naruto was now forced to continuously dodge Cecilia's well placed firing and attempted to close the gap between them. This was easier said than done however as progress was slower than he liked and whenever he got close enough she managed to distance herself more by temporarily deploying the drones once more.

After a couple of times Naruto got distracted by a drone just enough for Cecilia to finally get some easy shots on him. The barrage of gunshots managed to push Naruto back a little more and damaged his shields considerably. This continued for another couple of minutes, and his shields were taking too much damage as it was. Letting out a frustrated growl the blond was forced to reevaluate his tactics.

'_I need to get in close but how? I'm not familiar with longer range weaponry like my ion gun yet but maybe… Yes! If I use it with the chains then this may actually work! '_

Retracting the claws and chains briefly, Naruto equipped the ion gun. It was mainly white and orange with the main barrel being made of a see through, military-grade level tube of unbreakable, bullet proof glass or something similar. The head of the gun narrowed more to allow a more precise shot. The design suggested it being for more close to medium range in terms of accuracy. Naruto would've inspected it further had he the time to do so.

Setting his sights on his opponent once more Naruto moved to close the gap just enough for his plan to work. Cecilia mistook this however as a repeat of his previous plan.

"Foolish boy," she yelled haughtily. "Do you seriously think that you can touch me using that same tired tactic?" She deployed her drones again to intercept the charging Kyubi.

Thankfully her moment of arrogant gloating offered Naruto just enough time to get close enough for his plan. He sent a larger pulse of energy in to his arm holding the gun, charging it. He raised it skyward, while averting his eyes from the flash of energy. Cecelia however didn't realize until it was too late as the light made everything go bright.

With his opponent briefly indisposed, Naruto closed in unequiping his ion gun in favor of the claws and the chains. Cecelia was coming to her senses and this would likely be his only chance. Unleashing the chains on to the Blue Tears he secured in place in case the British pilot planned on going anywhere soon. The chains, charged with energy not only prevented her from moving but also started to drain the energy from her mech. Willing the chains to move back towards him Naruto launched the claws into a series of slashes and jabs breaking down Blue Tears' defenses. Cecelia tried to properly counter but was unable to do so properly, and watched desperately as her energy levels hitting zero.

She expected to feel the sensation of falling; she jolted when she realized that the sensation was not coming instead finding herself in the secure hold of Naruto and his IS. This boy had surprised her yet again. She had mocked and belittled him, nevertheless he didn't look like he was about to revel in his victory against her nor did he let her once think that he'd actually allow her to fall to the floor of the arena. His hold was strong and his smile kind, and upon seeing this Cecelia couldn't stop the blush that bloomed across her fair cheeks.

"B-but why?" she managed to choke out.

At the question the boy cocked his head in a confused expression, put a little off by it.

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you allow me to fall? I deserve no better for my disgraceful behavior and my loss." She replied in kind.

Naruto smiled and looked to the sky, "I already made my point and anything more than that would be unnecessary and shameful. Besides…" he returned his gaze to her, "...I could never live with myself if I let a cute girl get hurt because of my pride." He finished grinning in a fox like manner.

That statement and the moment only fueled Cecelia's blush, her face resembling something closer to a tomato. Naruto then proceeded to lower them both to the ground to where Chifuyu and Maya were waiting for them. They were given a quick look over for any noticeable injuries were both commended by Maya for a great fight while Chifuyu herself stayed silent. More things were mentioned but Cecelia paid them no mind her focus set on Naruto. Moments passed before she realized she was being addressed by the blond teen.

"Earth to Alcott-san? Can you read me?"

"What?! What is it?"

Seeing she was alright the whiskered boy let out a small sigh of relief having feared for a moment that she might've sustained a concussion of some matter.

"It's just time to head back is all but you were spacing out."

She jolted upon realizing he had seen her looking at him in that kind of state.

She recovered enough though to let him know otherwise.

"I'm quite fine, thank you."

"You ready to go then?" he said motioning his head toward the exit.

"O-of course! My apologies Uzumaki-san!"

"Just Naruto."

The British noblewoman jolted again at this statement.

"Pardon?"

"Just call me Naruto, no 'Uzumaki-san', just Naruto." He finished with a smile.

The blush returned to her face along with a smile this time.

"Naruto…" she tested the name off her lips. "Very well but on one condition Naruto."

"And what would that be?"

"Call me Cecelia."

They smiled to the other in understanding.

"Okay Cecelia-chan!" His foxish grin appearing once more.

Cecelia transformed into the envy of a tomato again but smiled still. They started their trek back into the main halls of the academy. But one thought remained on her mind.

"Naruto…. My Naruto doesn't sound too bad."


End file.
